Redress or Recognition: Rangatiratanga ki taonga tuku iho

Abstract

The founding cultures of Aotearoa descend from two different traditions and histories. Since 1840 the demand for recognition by Maori has been ongoing and is often framed in historic oppression and injustice. To withhold recognition continues this oppression. Maori communities use planning in different ways to transform circumstances they find oppressive or restrictive. State planning for Maori heritage protection and legislative regimes that underpin it creates important mechanisms for hapu and iwi to assert their rights and responsibilities. Planning will need to unlearn the colonial cultures of planning which dominate planning practice about place, impacting the rights and lives of indigenous people. The demand and focus from hapu and iwi for local authorities to recognise sites and places of cultural significance is increasing following years of negotiation with the Crown through the Treaty settlement process. I provide case study examples for comparison of central and local government processes set up to recognise hapu and iwi cultural interests for sites and places of cultural significance. Current functions of local authorities have a direct impact on hapu and iwi relationships with their taonga, their kaitiaki responsibilities and their interests as a Treaty partner. These interests place a range of responsibilities on local authorities. Tikanga and kaupapa need to lead policy and planning to appropriately respond to the protection of taonga or sites and places of cultural significance.